Fresh Thyme's Top 10 Midwest Grocery Trend Predictions
Fresh Thyme Market, a better-for-you Midwestern grocer, has unveiled its second annual food trend predictions for 2025. The report – which is in collaboration with Chicago-based retail data and intelligence provider Spins – leverages shopping behaviors to spotlight the top 10 food trends that will shape the way Midwesterners will shop and eat in the coming year.
"At Fresh Thyme Market, we believe creating a phenomenal experience for our shoppers and team members begins long before they walk through our doors," said Fresh Thyme Market President Liz Zolcak. "Our annual trends report helps us not only understand the needs of our shoppers, but ensures we're exciting them by curating our shelves with the most fresh, innovative and local products. Our shoppers are savvy, so it's important they know innovation is at our core and we can help them discover new products – often before they're available anywhere else in the Midwest."
Here are Fresh Thyme's top 10 Midwest grocery trend predictions for 2025:
1. Functional Ingredients: Consumers want more than just basic nutrition from their diets and will be seeking out products that incorporate functional ingredients – those that provide more targeted and specific health benefits – like colostrum for its immune-boosting properties, or probiotic cultures for better gut health.
[RELATED: Just How 'Functional' Are Functional Foods and Beverages?]
2. Evolution of the Mushroom: Adaptogenic mushrooms – which may help the body manage stress, anxiety and fatigue, and include varieties like Chaga, Lion's Mane and Turkey Tail – will start to gain momentum. Expect to see more mushroom-based products in everyday pantry staples like pasta, broth and coffee, allowing consumers to effortlessly add mushrooms' anti-inflammatory and sleep aid properties to their diets.
3. Rise of Non-Alcoholic, Mood-Enhancing Beverages (Part II): Non-alcoholic beverages will become even more sophisticated as a way to cater to an array of holistic needs. For example, Fresh Thyme predicts a spike in drinks made with plant-based and mineral ingredients like kava and magnesium because of their mood-enhancing benefits. Beverages that contain multiple cannabinoids like CBD will also see a rise in consumer interest, thanks to their popularity in social settings.
4. Spicy Foods Takeover: Consumers are demanding more complex flavor profiles and will bring on the heat through expanded use of more fresh and dried chilis like ghost chilies, Chilis De Arbol and jalapenos. The grocer also foresees more hot sauce varieties.
5. Mango Everything (and Everywhere!): Mangos are getting their time in the spotlight with mango-flavored products showing up in everything from drinks to snacks, and for good reason. According to Meghan Sedivy, Fresh Thyme Market's registered dietitian, mangoes are a "nutritional powerhouse" packed with vitamin C to help support the immune system and are ideal for adding sweetness and a creamy texture to foods.
6. Nature's Natural Sweeteners: Natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup and dates will become more prevalent in 2025 as consumers continue to look for ways to limit their refined and processed sugar intake.
7. Boosting Brain Power: Improved cognitive function will be on everyone's minds with supplements like ginkgo biloba, magnesium and GABA on the rise. These ingredients are known to enhance mental clarity and focus.
8. We're heading to Seoul: The rising popularity of Korean barbecue in recent years will pave the way for other Korean ingredients like gochujang and kimchi popping up in even more kitchens. This growing trend reflects consumers' desire to incorporate more bold, global flavors into their everyday cooking.
9. Next-Gen Sustainability: Grains and produce grown using controlled-environment agriculture (CEA), like greenhouse farming and other next-gen practices that have significantly less impact on the environment, will have shoppers buzzing. These items will see explosive growth in the new year.
10. Prioritizing Protein: While Fresh Thyme is known for its fresh protein sources like quality meat and seafood, protein will be breaking out into new categories in 2025. Shoppers will flock to more protein-boosted options when it comes to everything from cereals, oatmeal, pasta and pasta sauce to even queso-and-jalapeno turkey burgers, for added fuel and nutrition.
[RELATED: Consumers Want to Kick-Start Their Day With Protein]
With 70 stores in 10 states throughout the Midwest and 4,000 associates, Downers Grove, Ill.-based Fresh Thyme seeks to inspire its communities through its carefully curated selection of innovative products from both established and emerging brands, fresh meat, seafood and produce offerings, and more. The healthy grocer provides shoppers an experience where discovery is encouraged, whether they're in-store or online. The company is No. 87 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
